Saab joining the World Rally Championship in 2012?

It has long been a two horse race between Ford and Citroen, but the World Rally Championship could be looking at a revival. With MINI/Prodrive joining the fray next year, Saab could be joining the WRC by 2012, according to reports.

Autosport magazine says that Saab-Spyker CEO Victor Muller has met top officials from the WRC, quoting sources at the WRC claiming that the saved from death Swedish brand will make a partial entry into the 2012 season and full entry in 2013. “We could have four, possibly five manufacturers competing in the WRC in 2012. People are realising that they need to advertise their way out of the tough times we’ve been through,” WRC promoter Simon Long told Autosport. The mag’s insider added that “Saab is looking at the World Rally Championship as the perfect platform to launch a new product and to rebuild the brand.”

Saab was active in rallying in the post-war era, with the 92 and 93 models regularly taking chequered flags. The company quit the sport in 1980.
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Jacob Mathew Alexander has been a motoring nut for as far as he can remember and has recently turned his passion into writing. After spending some time in the same industry in the UK, Jacob's work is from a slightly different perspective.

Former Lancia owned by Fiat group who currently running another rally works Fiat Abarth Grande S2000 in IRC. It’s very difficult to predict inside crystal ball whether they would want to involve in WRC affair again.

You must be kidding. At the end of Lancia involvement in WRC, the Deltas were consistently losing out to the newer Celica ST205, and that’s when Mitsu was still running the Galant VR4 and Subaru running the Legacy.

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